HTTYD Points Of View
by Irish-Brigid
Summary: Because everyone has a story to tell. A look inside the heads of certain characters before, after, and during the first movie.
1. Gothi

_There are so many stories within How To Train Your Dragon. How can I possibly choose just one?_

**Chapter 1 - Gothi**

None in the village could remember a time when Gothi was not the tribe elder. Even Mildew, as old and decrepit as he was, could just barely recall seeing her with wisps of pale yellow in her hair before those were overwhelmed by ancient white. Even her true name was lost, 'Gothi' indicated her role as priestess and diviner, and even that wasn't quite correct. She had seen the birth of everyone living within the village and presided over too many deaths to count.

Many people feared the uncertain future but not her. Not because she could read it in bones and finger nails, but because she had lived long enough to see the inevitable conclusion.

Berk was dying.

Dragons came in greater numbers every year. The winters grew harsher and the growing time shorter. Children came less frequently and many of them died before their naming day. Those who survived were strong but stunted in height. If nothing changed, the dragons would claim Berk as their own in a generation, maybe two.

Thus, it came as no surprise when frantic voices called for her a month before the chief and his wife were expecting their first born child. It seemed every soul in the village, alive or not, crowded around the chief's house in barely restrained panic. All moved aside in reverence for the elder.

The babe was born on a winter night at the cusp of the first true rainstorm heralding that year's thaw. Gothi had not seen such a tiny infant in decades, certainly not one so determined to make his presence known to the entire island.

The new mother, Valka, if Gothi remembered right (there had been so many over the years), gazed at the wailing, coughing child in her arms. "He's so small." Her voice came out as barely a breath, every inch of her had to be completely spent from the long labor.

"Aye, but he has a voice to rival Thor himself." Exhaustion and relief warred with swelling pride on the young chief's face. "He'll grow."

Gothi didn't have the energy to reprimand him for making such pronouncements. She moved more out of habit than conscious thought for the bag holding her divination tools.

Valka saw her and tightened her grip on the new life that had been entrusted to her. "No. No, please. I don't want to know."

The blacksmith hobbled closer to the bed. "Val, come on, it's tradition."

"I don't care!" The poor girl was almost in tears. "I already... Please, I don't want to see his death laid out before me."

"He won't die!" The chief's voice shook the rafters before his gaze softened on his wife. "He won't." That gaze turned pleading as he turned to Gothi. "He won't."

Gothi made several gestures and shook her staff, the one mode of communication she had since her youth and a ritual that called for the sacrifice of her tongue.

"Eh..." The blacksmith, Gobber, perhaps, squinted at her before translating. "She says she needs to examine the wee babe, regardless, to make sure he's healthy and pick any medicines he might need."

Valka allowed this, though she remained tense, particularly as the old woman examined her babe's tiny pink tongue. The child, in contrast, calmed under Gothi's wrinkled fingers. Small and frail with lungs that sounded a little too full, Gothi normally would not have put much effort into him, chief's son or not. She had seen far too many cradle deaths to expect this one to see another winter.

And yet, another part of her, one not so withered by time and tragedy, itched to cast his runes.

She gave detailed instructions on the care of this child then motioned for the men to follow her outside. With the birth fluids long dry and the general expectation that such a tiny thing would not live long, the rocky path leading down from the front door lay deserted.

"So, now what? Ow!" Gobber rubbed the side of his head where Gothi had hit him with her staff. "You aren't seriously going to tell his fortune from out here, are you? Can you even do that?"

Gothi rolled her eyes and arranged her tools, letting her actions speak for her. With eyes closed she swirled the bowl of runes between her hands. Then she cast them out and opened her eyes.

The pattern spread before her on the stone step made her doubt her abilities for the first time since her youth.

"What does it say?" The chief leaned closer, his huge bulk blocking the light from the doorway. "My son, he'll grow up strong. A warrior."

Gothi sent him back with a glare and a warning shake of her staff. Gobber gripped his one good hand over the chief's shoulder in an attempt at reassurance.

"Look, whatever it says, at least Val came out all right."

"And so will my son!" The chief rounded on his friend in a rage as dark and firy as his hair. "He's strong. He'll live. He has to."

Gothi's attention returned to the runes. There had to be a mistake here. She took out a handful of knuckle bones and tossed them to one side, checking them while the two men argued and slipped them quickly back into her pouch.

She tried a couple more things in quick succession before confirming that her first casting was correct. After scooping the runes safely away she gave each man a good hit to get their attention. Then she went about the task of sketching out the parts she felt could safely be relayed to others.

Gobber frowned at her markings, apparently as confused as she had initially been. "Well, good news, he's gonna live."

"Haha! I knew it!"

"And he'll be a great, eh, tree. OW! Protector. He'll be a great protector." Gobber rubbed his head. "Still looks like a tree." He flinched at the staff Gothi held up in warning. "But he'll face many challenges and dangers before then."

If the chief beamed any brighter he'd have been mistaken for the sun. "That's my boy! He's a Haddock, for sure. Thank you, elder. Thank you so much. I've got to tell Val. This is wonderful! HA!"

Gothi and Gobber shared a look. Obviously the last part hadn't sunk in yet. Gobber offered to walk the old woman home but she waved him off. She had much to consider in what she hadn't told.

Loss and self-sacrifice had been prominent alongside his role as protector. Another cluster spoke of something even more ominous.

That boy, for good or ill, would end the Dragon War.

* * *

_Did anyone else notice that even as adults our dragon riders are shorter than the average Hooligan? All except Hiccup, that is, who ends up being able to look his father straight in the... chin. But considering Stoick the Vast is officially 6'9" that's doing pretty good. Anyway, most of this is the result of me wondering how much Gothi would know considering her stated divination abilities._

_Also, while the series does refer to her as Gothi as if that's her name, technically it's a title referring to a priest who's also a chieftain. A female would be gyothja. Not that a cartoon marketed towards kids is likely to be historically accurate. Let's assume that Berk has been isolated for a very long time and the meaning of certain terms as been corrupted._

_(Youth is relative. Stoick is thirty, so most people wouldn't consider him young. To Gothi, __**everyone**__ is young.)_


	2. Astrid

**Chapter 2 - Astrid**

This is Berk, home of the Hooligan tribe, the toughest, bravest vikings in all the North Sea. We have to be, with all the dragon raids.

Yes, that's right, dragon raids. Since vikings first landed here we've been at war with these beasts. Generation after generation has inherited this struggle for survival and soon it will be my turn. For most this is just another step toward adulthood. For me, it's my chance to restore honor to the Hofferson clan and end the cruel mocking that started almost ten years ago when my uncle froze before the flightmare.

Then there's Hiccup, Berk's walking disaster. I've heard some of the adults gossip that the gods had cursed him in exchange for sparing his life as a baby. Whether that's true or not there are times when I pity him and others when I can't stand the sight of him.

This is one of the former.

I don't know how he got that monstrous nightmare's attention or how he managed to outrun it, but the destruction was horrible. Of course, everyone blamed Hiccup and perhaps he was partially at fault, but what was he supposed to do? Run into the woods to be eaten? At least he lead it to warriors capable of bringing down the beast. I hoped he would give up on dragon slaying and just stay in the forge. Whenever I bring my axe in for repairs I can tell when he's worked on it, his craftsmanship is flawless.

His dragon slaying skills are nonexistent.

So when he showed up for dragon training and almost got himself killed I wanted to scream. That idiot had a death wish! His skills were worse than nonexistent, he was a walking jinx, constantly underfoot or wandering off to ask irrelevant questions. And yet, somehow, even in those early lessons when I was sure we'd all see him die, he always managed to come out unscathed while everyone else could barely move.

I started to hate him. Great Odin's beard, why couldn't he just stay out of the way?

Then the unthinkable happened. Literally over night he went from the worst viking Berk had ever seen to being able to cow a zippleback with his bare hands. He could knock out a gronkle with a touch. No one questioned it. Everyone praised him, completely forgetting that before most of them wouldn't even speak to him. If this kept up I wouldn't get my chance. I wouldn't get to prove to everyone that the Hoffersons are not cowards.

I had one last chance. The chief had returned and the elder had come down from her mountain to select the top student. We were facing the gronkle again. Its focus was on Hiccup, so I ducked around to the side, planning to surprise it from behind. I'd mount its head on a pole in front of my house for all to see.

Except he did it again! While I wasn't looking he did whatever weird thing he'd learned and put the dragon to sleep. My family's honor, my chance at glory, stolen by this clumsy, smart-mouthed, joke of a viking.

I wanted to kill him, but more than that I wanted to know how he did it. So I followed him into the woods and found his secret. One that would change everything.

* * *

_Inspired mostly by the episode Flightmare. I thought it explained her actions in the movie wonderfully. Also, I noticed that at the end of the raid in the film she and Fishlegs were the only ones not mocking Hiccup. More than that, she looked more angry at Snotlout._


	3. Gobber

**Chapter 3 - Gobber**

It was about ten years ago that Stoick asked me to take Hiccup on as an apprentice. Man probably thought working the forge would finally put some meat on those scrawny bones.

Of course I said yes, after a bit of argument. I'd been helping raise the lad ever since his mum went and got herself eaten. Sad day, that. As odd as she was, everyone knew her to be as kind and generous as she was beautiful. Brave, too. All but entirely fearless.

I wasn't quite sure how well this whole blacksmithing thing would go with Hiccup at first. Sure, the lad was curious and eager to learn, always asking questions and sticking his nose into things. That last bit's what had me worried. A forge ain't the place for wandering fingers.

He was too small to do any real work at first. Believe me, I tried. Almost got my ears blasted off by Stoick. So I had him sweep the place and keep the tools clean. When he couldn't carry the water bucket he made a little wagon for it.

Which promptly got away from him and smashed into Mildew's cabbage cart.

I made a smaller bucket for him. It took more trips and a lot more time, but at least it got done.

Ah, those were some good days. Drove me mad more often than not, but he kept me on my toes and I've never seen anyone take deburring so seriously. He soaked up every lesson I gave him like a sponge. Most kids'd have to be dragged kicking and screaming to work, he showed up early and had to be dragged home late. Only problem was how discouraged he got when something didn't work quite right the first time.

Like the first time I had him make a nail. Thing came out looking like a gronkle'd used it as a chew toy.

Hiccup flopped his head on the workbench. "I'm never going to make it as a blacksmith."

"Oh, it's not that bad. At least the sharp end is going the right way." I handed it back to him. "You'll want to keep that."

"Why?" He scrunched up his round little face. Ah, he was adorable back then.

I hobbled over to an old chest and rummaged around inside until I found what I was looking for. "Same reason I kept this."

Hiccup squinted at the little twist of iron tied to a leather thong. "What is it?"

"That's the first nail I ever made."

"Really? It doesn't even have a head."

"Aye, it doesn't. And it's got pointy bits everywhere except where the pointy bit's supposed to go. Hmm. Might make a decent fish hook, come to think of it." I stuffed it back into my chest. "Point is, your first work is always gonna be a little rough. You've just gotta pick up your hammer and try again."

The one big problem I had with him was getting him to sit down and focus on one thing at a time. I'd have him sharpening swords and I'd turn around to find him standing on the bellows with his head hanging over the burning coals.

"I was just trying to see where the other end came out!"

"It comes out under the coals so the fire'll be hotter."

"Why'd the fire be hotter?"

"Because all the coals get air."

"Why'd they need air?"

"Oh for the love of Thor! Fire needs air to burn! Now get back to sharpening!"

Did I mention how often he drove me mad?

"Watch where you're putting that!"

"Don't touch that! Use the tongs!"

"You're over balancing the... cart."

Yeah, he did that a lot. Lucky the store's still standing.

Think he must've been about nine when he started doodling all over every scrap of parchment and used bit of leather he could get his hands on. Maybe he'd been doing it longer, but that's when they started taking over my store. Well, I couldn't have that, so I added a little Hiccup-sized room at the back that he could clutter up.

Had no idea he'd take that as encouragement to build the crazy things he drew.

* * *

_Yeah, totally not bothering with the accents. The dialog would end up incomprehensible and for the sections when someone like Gobber is narrating... No. Anyway, I so wonder what kinds of mayhem-causing contraptions Hiccup made before the bola launcher in the movie. Perhaps when I manage to think of some possibilities I'll use them in a story._


	4. Stoick

**Chapter 4 - Stoick**

Oh, Valka, why are the valkeries so cruel? Why did they send the dragons to take you from me? From our son?

Hiccup is... He's still so small. Gothi said he would be a great protector, but how? A stiff breeze could blow him away. He was terrified of that dragon toy you made for him. Last time I took him on a boat he threw it overboard, and very nearly followed it. He... he looks so much like you. I look at his eyes and I see all my failures.

I should have been faster. I should have protected you both from that monster. Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could have taken your place. You would have done a much better job at this than I.

He's a stubborn lad. That should be a good trait but he's stubborn about all the wrong things. And he won't listen! I tell him to stay in the house and he leaves the moment my back is turned. I tell him not to wander outside the village and I find him in the woods drawing. I tell him to stay in his seat when we're eating at the Great Hall and he manages to set the kitchen on fire!

Last week I took him fishing along the streams on the north side of the island. I showed him how to bait a hook and told him how important it was to stay still and quiet. I hadn't taken my eyes off him for even a minute before he disappeared.

I can't remember how long I looked for him, it felt like forever. He'd somehow managed to get himself stuck halfway up a cliff. He was looking for trolls of all things.

Val, what am I supposed to do? I feel like I have to watch him every second just to make sure he doesn't get himself killed but I can't. I have to take care of the village, too. I've tried taking him with me, believe me, I did. He almost drowned at sea. He tried to climb into an oven while I was helping Gerda the Baker. The less said about what happened when Trader Johann visited the better.

I sent him to Gobber as an apprentice. Fire and sharp objects, yes, I know, but Gobber's like family and as muddle-headed as he can be I trust no one else here more. I just wanted someone to keep an eye on him and hoped that by learning a trade he'd be less interested in wandering off and getting himself killed.

So, of course, yesterday Gobber had to find him perched in the rafters over the forge rigging some monstrosity of ropes and pulleys. Hiccup could've died and all that boy could talk about was 'faster production' and 'hammering' and something about a water wheel. It's as if he has no survival instinct at all!

I'm failing him, Valka. I'm failing him and I don't even know what I'm doing wrong.

* * *

_Stoick gets a horribly bum rap from a large section of the fanbase. Maybe it's because I'm older than a lot of fans (good grief, I'm older than Stoick would've been when Hiccup was born), or because I grew up around Germans and Norwegians, or both, but I really feel for the guy. Leading a small village that's under near constant threat of dragon attacks is hard enough all by itself. Add the twin problems of making sure his son survives to adulthood and that the village survives his son? It's no wonder he looks angry all the time. (As my dad has often said, 'all emotions tend to look like anger on men.' I'm not sure if this holds true for those outside northwestern Europe.)_


	5. Tuffnut and Ruffnut

**Chapter 5 - Tuffnut and Ruffnut**

Berk is boring. Except when the dragons attack, then it's awesome.

Yeah. All that fire and destruction. It's a shame we have to put it out.

And rebuild afterward. I hate building. I'd rather break things.

Idiot. If we didn't build things there'd be nothing to break.

Oh yeah. Hey, you know what would be cool? Having a pet dragon. Then we could set fire to stuff whenever we want!

Moron.

You're the moron!

No, you are!

_FOCUS!_

Right. Where was I?

About to get a new face.

_Uhhhrgh. That's it. I'm separating you two._

What?

Wha-? Hey! Leggo! You ca-

_Finally. Okay, Tuffnut, you really think a pet dragon would be cool?_

Yeah, totally. Just don't tell anyone, okay? I don't want to end up like Hiccup. Guy should've been a dragon, he's awesome at breaking stuff. And setting fires. He's just not very good at the whole, uh, 'viking' thing. Pretty sure even Hel wouldn't want him. Hey, you think if he got kicked out of the afterlife he'd come back as a dragon? That'd be sweet. Hope he stays away from Berk, though. It'd be a shame to have to kill him.

I am so looking forward to fighting dragons. The best destruction happens during a good fight. Might even lose a limb or two. That would be awesome. I want an arm that changes into different weapons like Gobber. Then I'll really be the world's most deadly weapon.

Wonder when we'll start dragon training. I can't wait to show off my skills. You know, if anyone notices. Astrid will probably get most of the attention. She trains all the time. Seriously. I don't think she knows how to have fun. At least she's violent, which is kinda fun for me, when she isn't being uptight about everything. Fishlegs doesn't know how to have fun, either, but he spends all his time reading. I'm pretty sure the only reason he's allowed to hang out with us is because he can actually lift a weapon even if he's too chicken to use one. Hey, sometimes he panics and starts swinging at stuff, that's sorta fun to watch. You know, from a distance.

Besides, it's not like there's anyone else our age. Uh, well, there's Snotlout. So that's three, right? Four? Whatever. I'm just glad there's no way Hiccup's going to be allowed near training. Then I'd have to actually work at breaking stuff to get noticed.

Or I could just torment him until he's eaten. That'd work, too.

*HTTYD*

Finally! It was so _boring_ out there! Why would you want to talk to my stupid brother first, anyway?

Well, duh, we do everything together, we're twins. We sleep hanging from the same rafter, we have the same well-groomed stuffed yak, we even share a dish and spoon. He's still a moron, though. And girly. And he's friends with Snotlout, who's funny and all but a real pain. Ugh. I'm probably gonna have to marry some guy I've never met or some old widower. What other tribes are there, anyway? I've never been off the island. Not that I want to. Water doesn't burn.

Yeah. We've tried. It gets hot and makes something like clouds but that's it. Boring. I'd rather kill dragons and explore caves. There's this one over on the east side of the island that's all dark and soggy. Tuffnut and I used to spend all our time down there playing hide and go kill.

Oh, and sometimes Snotlout came, too. We kidnapped Hiccup one time because he was good at breaking things so we thought he'd be fun to play with. Should've known it wouldn't work, it was my brother's idea.

He was at Gobber's. Uh, no, the place where he makes weapons. Gobber has a house? So, uh... Where was I?

Right. It was night and he'd fallen asleep in this room full of drawings and books. Ugh. We grabbed him and tried to stuff him in a sack but he woke up and started flailing. And yelling. He can yell really loud, which is not good if you're kidnapping someone. Victims should be quiet.

We got him out the back door but then my idiot brother had to step off the edge of the cliff. I'm not really sure what happened after that. Lots of stuff broke, which was awesome, but none of us could remember it happening, which was totally not awesome. And Tuffnut and I broke a leg.

Well, yeah, I guess it could've been worse, but Hiccup just got a sprained wrist and lots of scratches. Managed to hook himself onto a boulder or something. Anyway, we didn't bother trying to play with him after that. No point having fun if you can't remember it later.

That, and he kinda ran away everytime he saw us for, like, a month after that. Coward.

I dunno. We were maybe... uh... that age when other kids tried to tell us that our parents put presents in our helmets at Snoggletog instead of Odin? What difference does that make?

Fishlegs is just boring and Astrid has a spear stuck so far up her butt I'm surprised it hasn't come out the top of her head. Gods, this is the worst village ever. If Hiccup would just toughen up a little it might be okay. Or if there were other kids our age. Fun ones.

You know my family expects me to be a village elder someday? Like that's going to happen. I like the hair and all, but there's no way I'm living on a mountain all by myself doing mystic stuff. I want to burn things and kill things and just, you know, have fun. Though I guess if I became a priestess I wouldn't have to worry about getting married.

This is stupid. I'm going to punch my brother then find something to break.

_Has anyone else noticed that Gothi and Ruffnut share the same hairstyle, and no one else ties their hair up that way? I did after a second rewatching of HTTYD 2. Could be coincidence, but I've been wondering if they're related ever since._

_Anyway, I decided to set this up as an interview because there was no way the twins could narrate something without someone there to guide them._


	6. Fishlegs

**Chapter 6 - Fishlegs**

Berk is a pleasant enough place, if you don't mind the very real possibility of being eaten. Getting to see dragons up close is almost worth the risk, however. Someday I hope to add new species to The Book of Dragons. I've read it seven times and have almost all the stats memorized.

This brings up another problem with Berk, the lack of appreciation for intellectual pursuits. Of the six teenagers, I only know Hiccup and I can read. I'm about 82 percent sure about Astrid, 38 percent sure about Snotlout, and 99 percent sure that the twins _can't_.

It's almost painful to think that I spent so much time around Snotlout and the twins. As small children, I remember learning to read with Hiccup. He seemed okay then, if a little strange. But then I got big and, uh, I sorta broke Snotlout's nose when I was six. There may have been biting involved. I'd rather not talk about it.

Anyway, I was just barely accepted as a viking. Acceptance by one's peers, no matter how tenuous, is extremely important in any social group. Something Hiccup didn't seem to understand. As we got older, he got weirder. At least my interest in studying dragons was somewhat acceptable even if no one ever really listened to me. And the twins usually kept their pranks to socially acceptable areas like yak tipping and pantsing people (me) in public.

Hiccup built strange yet intriguing devices that he said were intended to help fight dragons but usually helped the dragons fight us. It was just safer to ignore him.

Didn't make me feel any less guilty after the fight with the Red Death, though.

That name was my idea, by the way. Because of the red knobs along its body and the light inside the mountain it lived in. The death part is pretty obvious.

Anyway, the day after Hiccup woke up I went to his house. I knocked and waited.

"Hang on. No, Toothless!" Crash. "Well, yeah, technically there's a clear path to the door now. Okay. Ah. Remind me to tighten the spring once Gobber lets me back in the forge, bud."

The door finally started to open. I'd been wondering if maybe this wasn't a good time. Hiccup looked well, if a little surprised.

"Fishlegs? Uh, what are you doing here?"

I had to clear my throat before speaking. "I just wanted to, you know, before everything that happened and not speaking to you and thinking you were like the twins and, well..." I probably shoved my package into his arms a little too hard. "Please accept my apology!"

Hiccup unwrapped the cloth while leaning back against Toothless. It still seemed like a strange name to me. "A notebook? Uh, thanks, Fishlegs, but it really isn't necessary."

"Oh but it is necessary! And that isn't just any notebook. I've been copying passages from the Book of Dragons and studying dragon behavior during the raids for years. I've set up a complex system for rating every dragon ability and categorizing species by overall power level and statistical clusters." I had to pause there and bow my head. "But even after all that study you were the one who learned that dragons could be tamed. You stopped a three hundred year war, defeated the largest dragon ever seen, and tamed a _night fury_. So I'm giving you my research. You deserve it."

Honestly, I don't know how Hiccup's eyes could get that big without falling out of his head. "Fishlegs, that's... Look, I can train dragons, but I could never come up with a system like yours." He handed the book back to me. "If you really want to apologize, then keep doing exactly what you're doing. The more everyone knows about dragons, the better."

"Really? But I'm supposed to give you a gift as part of an apology! Oh! I know! I've been helping Dad with his fishing boat. I'll give you my share of the catch! Toothless must eat a lot, right? After all, it takes a lot of energy to achieve the kind of acceleration he's capable of. There's also this plant oil that Meatlug really likes to have rubbed on his scales. I can get you some of that and..."

"Fishlegs!" I don't know why, but Hiccup almost looked scared for a moment. "It's really not necessary. Would you like to come inside? We can talk about dragons and stuff."

No one ever wanted to talk with me about dragons before. After all this time I have a real friend! And even though he's really small he's also smart and cool and actually listens to me! This is the best!

* * *

_Fishlegs and Hiccup have quite a bit in common, don't they. ^_^ I like their friendship. They're such geeks. And I somewhat suspect that Fishlegs has a little hero worship going on for Hiccup._

_By the by, This is before both the series and Gift of the Night Fury (not sure how the chronology works there, exactly) so Fishlegs still thinks Meatlug is a boy dragon._


	7. Meatlug

**Chapter 7 - Meatlug**

Out! Out! Outoutoutout!

Noisy things!

Treat! Not tasty treat but treat.

Round things. Hit round things get tasty treat. Hit round things held by noisy things.

Hit round thing! Yay! Hit other round thing! Noisy things run. Stop running! Hit so get treat!

Hit! Round thing still moving! Noisy thing run after round thing. Not get treat if round thing moving.

Noisy thing bad. Noisy thing make not get treat. Angry. Hungry. Make noisy thing stop moving round thing.

Ow! No! Not hit all round things! Want treat! Want treat now!

_*BONUS! The Terrible Terror*_

Smells. Big things smells.

Oo! Bright!

Big things!

Fear me!

Oooo! Shiny! Mine!

Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, ow, mi...

Dark.

Hey!

* * *

_Because I've seen far too many stories that portray the dragons as sentient. I'll buy that they're smart, some of them. Like dolphins, cats, dogs, things like that. People with the ability for complex, abstract thought and philosophy, no. Toothless might be close to sentient, but even he strikes me more as an exceptionally bright cat than anything else._

_I mean, if they were sentient, then everyone including Hiccup referring to them as pets would have all sorts of unfortunate implications._


	8. Snotlout

**Chapter 8 - Snotlout**

This is Berk, and I am Snotlout, the greatest, manliest, gloriest viking to ever grace these humble shores. No one has come close to my awesomeness.

Not that I have a lot of competition. Fishlegs is a total nerd and the twins are, you know, the twins. They're cool enough to hang around with, but there's really no comparison. I guess there's Astrid, but she's a girl, so she doesn't count. And that dweeby little runt, Hiccup? Ha! Sure, I was as eager as anyone else to hang out with him when he was getting so good in the ring. The runt was suddenly competent, I wanted to know how he did it.

Then there was the whole thing with the red death and he was suddenly a hero and Dad started giving me a rough time about all the glory the little dork brought to our village and stuff like that. Come on! He even lost a leg! That's supposed to be a mark of pride for a viking and he barely acts like it's there!

At least he's still a boring little nerd most of the time. Just because he's a hero doesn't make him a viking. I'm still the best. I have the Thawfest medals to prove it.

They added dragon events to the Thawfest Games the first thaw after Hiccup's little hero stunt. I thought for sure I'd win all of those, too. I always win. Maybe not at the little competitions just between us at the dragon academy, but those are all things Hiccup made up, of course he'd win those. I was confident.

I was _losing_.

I had the whole competition in the bag the first day! Sure, I guess Hiccup lasted a bit longer than he usually did, but I still left him and everyone else in my dust until the dragon events came up. Then it was all turned upside down and Dad started yelling at me and I panicked.

I still don't know how I won that tie breaker event. Someone said that Hiccup lost control of Toothless's tailfin and had to land.

Guess that'll teach him to test new designs during a race. Ha!

It was weird, though. And then the next year just got weirder.

I still won the sheep lug, but Hiccup didn't collapse at the end like usual. Fishlegs didn't knock Astrid off the log roll this time, so she and Hiccup actually gave me a bit of competition. Astrid I could sorta understand, but Hiccup? He only has one leg!

The worst was the axe throwing competition. Hiccup hit the target.

I'm going to repeat that because I still can't believe it. Hiccup. Hit. The target. It was below the bulls-eye, but still! The only other person who hit was Astrid, we stood next to each other during the tie breaker. I flexed my manly arms, she threw a perfect shot, I... missed.

The axehead was loose! Anyway, it was just one point. It wasn't the first time Astrid got a single point on me. There were still three more points to earn.

Yeah, yeah. The dragon events went pretty much the same way they did the first time, except for some reason my dad didn't approach me between events to chew me out. That was even weirder than Hiccup's almost competence. So I went looking for him and saw him and Stoick arguing.

"I'm not sayin' anything against your boy. He's a fine warrior, he's proven that often enough. I'm just sayin' there's no shame in someone bein' better in something."

"Easy for you to say when it's your son who's better."

"True." The chief didn't have to sound so smug about it. "But it doesn't make me wrong, either. Now why don't we head over to the Great Hall for some drinks before the next event."

My dad's scowl managed to deepen. "I was actually going to see Snotlout about his performance." I was in so much trouble.

"And break his concentration?" Why was Stoick helping me? "Now you know better than that. Come, our boys don't need us hovering like nesting nadders."

Like I said. Weird.

With Astrid winning that one event, Hiccup ended up winning without the need for a tie breaker. First time a Jorgensen _didn't_ win. I could feel Dad's disappointment looming over me.

But he never said anything about it. Muttered something about 'good game' and 'next time' and that was it.

*HTTYD*

And I thought last year was weird. Dad still had me train just as hard, but there was nowhere near as much pressure. Was it because I disappointed him already so he didn't expect me to win? Well, I'd just prove I could win. Hiccup might've gotten taller somehow, but he was still scrawny.

Apparently taller is an advantage in races, even ones involving lugging sheep. I wasn't really paying attention at the time, but Fishlegs said afterward that Hiccup came in second just barely ahead of Astrid. Mulch confirmed it.

I hadn't realized until then that I'm now the shortest member of the team. I hadn't been close to being the tallest in years, but it still feels wrong to be shorter than Hiccup. Especially since _he's_ the tallest now.

Which totally worked against him on the log roll. Ha! Back to loserville, Hiccup!

Until the axe throwing competition, anyway. I just don't get it! He's still got fishbone arms! And they didn't give him a lower target like before. How did he hit it?

The tie breaker was still between me and Astrid, he hit it a little low even if it was straight on center. I'd been practicing this a lot and didn't let anything distract me. We had to throw a lot of axes before I was declared the winner.

Which inevitably meant there was a tie breaker to determine the final winner of the games. I've all but resigned myself to Hiccup winning these events, though he and Astrid did have a tie breaker for the hurdles.

I didn't push him out of the way at the start of the obstacle course this time around. Maybe that was a mistake because he actually kept up with me until the rock wall.

I still owned him on that part.

Still lost, which didn't feel half as bad this time around. Maybe because there was a second place medal now. Gobber had mentioned that at the start, I think. Something about getting tired of dealing with competitive non-competitors or whatever. I wasn't really paying attention since I'd looked up and saw my dad looking sheepish. _Sheepish_ of all things. Huh.

Hiccup walked up to me and offered his hand. "I think that was our best race yet. You almost beat me at the end there."

I took his hand. Like I could do anything else. "Yeah, well, that's only because Hookfang and I were up all night training. Next year we'll be better rested and then you'll definitely have to watch out."

Hiccup grinned. Is that a normal response? "Looking forward to it."

Maybe coming in second isn't so bad.

* * *

_Take another look at the episode Thawfest. Fishlegs and the twins losing is pretty much a given what with their personalities, but Astrid mostly loses because she's standing next to Fishlegs, who ends up running into her during the log roll and axe throwing events. She lost the sheep lug because she doesn't have brute strength, she has precisely controlled strength. Pretty sure Snotlout's going to continue to own that event for the foreseeable future. Or until Fishlegs decides to shape up._

_Hiccup is interesting, as usual, since he continues to prove (at least to me) that he isn't so much weak as slightly under-sized and given ill-fitting equipment. After a slow start, he managed to reach a decent pace even though the sheep he was lugging probably weighed almost as much as he did. On the log roll he was the last to fly off before Snotlout was declared the winner. (Another event Snotlout has a slight advantage in, given his low center of gravity.) And the axe he threw would have hit exactly on the vertical center of the target if it had been two feet closer. It also flew a lot straighter than any of the axes Snotlout threw._

_I also want to point out the log dodging part of the tie breaker. Snotlout spent a lot of energy leaping around. Despite getting shoved aside, Hiccup made good time by quickly and precisely dodging the logs. Including a rather impressive backward bend on his knees._

_The Hooligan Tribe has no idea what kind of viking they're dealing with._


	9. Valka

**Chapter 9 - Valka**

I'm such a fool.

I had just gotten Hiccup to sleep when I heard the warning horn. My husband ran out the door less than a moment later.

A good mother would have stayed with her child. A good wife would have stayed to guard the house. I made sure Hiccup still slept and followed my husband into battle.

There are so many things I could say to explain what I did that night. Our house was separate from the others, well away from the food stores and the docks where the dragons usually focused their attacks. The risk of a dragon coming up the hill was small.

If I could stop the fighting, if I could save lives on both sides, then my Hiccup could grow up in a better world.

If he grew up at all.

In truth, I was afraid. Afraid he'd die, not from a dragon attack but because his tiny, frail body could not survive. I had already failed to keep him safe within my own body. There was so little I could do now that he was outside.

But I could do this. I could beg. I could throw myself between axe and claw. I could pray that somehow the fighting would stop and there would be one less danger to my son's life.

I should have known better. They pushed me aside, ignored me, yelled at me to go home. I looked up and saw a dark shape enter my house.

My baby. All this time I'd been trying to save dragons and one was about to eat my wee babe!

There was no time for thinking, I ran in and somewhere along the way picked up a sword. Then I froze. I had expected flames, angry growls, screams of pain, blood. Instead, I saw a gentle creature playing with my smiling son. Hiccup looked so happy and unafraid.

I hesitated and the dragon heard me. It turned, a claw caught my babe's chin, his cries bringing back all my fear. I held the sword out but couldn't move. Looking in the dragon's eyes, I saw myself. Curious, hopeful, afraid.

And then all I saw was the side of Stoick's axe.

My husband fought. The dragon breathed fire. Hiccup! I had to stop them!

Stoick, for once, didn't wait for me to move. He dropped his axe and scooped up our son from the cradle.

The dragon took that opportunity to grab me.

"Stoick!"

"Valka!"

My husband, wreathed in flames, holding our son. My home, a smoking wreck because I couldn't bring myself to kill the beast that now carried me off to Odin knows where. My little Hiccup, who would be lucky to survive his first winter.

I failed. As a mother, as a wife, as a viking. Even if I somehow managed to escape, I knew I couldn't go back. To do so would only bring shame to the Haddock name. I could live a hundred lifetimes and never make up for this one night.

Stoick, Hiccup, I'm so sorry. Please be safe and happy without me.

* * *

_Most people really like Valka, but I've run into people who absolutely __**hate**__ her. And why? Because she 'abandoned' her child and husband. _

_Never mind how long it would have taken her to feel comfortable riding a dragon after that rather traumatic kidnapping. Or how she'd explain her survival. I mean really, who'd believe her if she said the dragon gave her a ride back? If she tried to ride into Berk on dragon back she'd probably get shot down. _

_And that's not even going into the massive layers of guilt she was probably feeling. Valka's age hasn't been specified in any official resources I have access to, but Stoick was __**thirty**__ when Hiccup was born. How long had they been married? How long had they been trying to have children only for their first-born to be a hiccup? A __**preemie**__ hiccup? What are the chances Valka blamed herself? How much you want to bet she thought Stoick should have married someone else? Someone who could give him a strong heir?_


End file.
